"The Internationale" (French: "L'Internationale")
is a widely sung left-wing anthem. It has been one
of the most recognizable and popular songs of the
socialist movement since the late 19th century,
when the Second International (now the Socialist
International) adopted it as its official anthem.
The original French refrain of the song is C'est la
lutte finale / Groupons-nous et demain /
L'Internationale / Sera le genre humain. (English:
"This is the final struggle / Let us group together
and tomorrow / The Internationale / Will be the
human race.") "The Internationale" has been
translated into many languages. It is often sung
with the left hand raised in a clenched fist salute
and is sometimes followed (in English-speaking
places) with a chant of "The workers united will
never be defeated." "The Internationale" has
been celebrated by socialists, communists,
anarchists, democratic socialists, and some social
democrats.
French lyrics
Literal English translation
First stanza
Debout, les damnés de la terre
Debout, les forçats de la faim
La raison tonne en son cratère
C'est l'éruption de la fin
Du passé faisons table rase
Foule esclave, debout, debout
Le monde va changer de base
Nous ne sommes rien, soyons tout
|: C'est la lutte finale
Groupons-nous, et demain
L'Internationale
Sera le genre humain :|
Stand up, damned of the Earth
Stand up, prisoners of starvation
Reason thunders in its volcano
This is the eruption of the end.
Of the past let us make a clean slate
Enslaved masses, stand up, stand up.
The world is about to change its foundation
We are nothing, let us be all.
|: This is the final struggle
Let us group together, and tomorrow
The Internationale
Will be the human race. :|
Second stanza
Il n'est pas de sauveurs suprêmes
Ni Dieu, ni César, ni tribun
Producteurs, sauvons-nous nous-mêmes
Décrétons le salut commun
Pour que le voleur rende gorge
There are no supreme saviours
Neither God, nor Caesar, nor tribune.
Producers, let us save ourselves,
Decree the common salvation.
So that the thief expires,
1
Pour tirer l'esprit du cachot
Soufflons nous-mêmes notre forge
Battons le fer quand il est chaud
|: C'est la lutte finale
Groupons-nous, et demain
L'Internationale
Sera le genre humain :|
So that the spirit be pulled from its prison,
Let us fan our forge ourselves
Strike the iron while it is hot.
|: This is the final struggle
Let us group together, and tomorrow
The Internationale
Will be the human race. :|
Third stanza
L'État comprime et la loi triche
L'impôt saigne le malheureux
Nul devoir ne s'impose au riche
Le droit du pauvre est un mot creux
C'est assez, languir en tutelle
L'égalité veut d'autres lois
Pas de droits sans devoirs dit-elle
Égaux, pas de devoirs sans droits
|: C'est la lutte finale
Groupons-nous, et demain
L'Internationale
Sera le genre humain :|
The State oppresses and the law cheats.
Tax bleeds the unfortunate.
No duty is imposed on the rich;
The rights of the poor is an empty phrase.
Enough languishing in custody!
Equality wants other laws:
No rights without duties, she says,
Equally, no duties without rights.
|: This is the final struggle
Let us group together, and tomorrow
The Internationale
Will be the human race. :|
Fourth stanza
Hideux dans leur apothéose
Les rois de la mine et du rail
Ont-ils jamais fait autre chose
Que dévaliser le travail ?
Dans les coffres-forts de la bande
Ce qu'il a créé s'est fondu
En décrétant qu'on le lui rende
Le peuple ne veut que son dû.
|: C'est la lutte finale
Groupons-nous, et demain
L'Internationale
Sera le genre humain :|
Hideous in their apotheosis
The kings of the mine and of the rail.
Have they ever done anything other
Than steal work?
Inside the safeboxes of the gang,
What work had created melted.
By ordering that they give it back,
The people want only their due.
|: This is the final struggle
Let us group together, and tomorrow
The Internationale
Will be the human race. :|
Fifth stanza
Les rois nous saoulaient de fumées
Paix entre nous, guerre aux tyrans
Appliquons la grève aux armées
Crosse en l'air, et rompons les rangs
S'ils s'obstinent, ces cannibales
À faire de nous des héros
Ils sauront bientôt que nos balles
Sont pour nos propres généraux
The kings made us drunk with fumes,
Peace among us, war to the tyrants!
Let the armies go on strike,
Stocks in the air, and break ranks.
If they insist, these cannibals
On making heroes of us,
They will know soon that our bullets
Are for our own generals.
2
|: C'est la lutte finale
Groupons-nous, et demain
L'Internationale
Sera le genre humain :|
|: This is the final struggle
Let us group together, and tomorrow
The Internationale
Will be the human race. :|
Sixth stanza
Ouvriers, paysans, nous sommes
Le grand parti des travailleurs
La terre n'appartient qu'aux hommes
L'oisif ira loger ailleurs
Combien de nos chairs se repaissent
Mais si les corbeaux, les vautours
Un de ces matins disparaissent
Le soleil brillera toujours.
|: C'est la lutte finale
Groupons-nous, et demain
L'Internationale
Sera le genre humain :|
Russian translation
Workers, peasants, we are
The great party of labourers.
The earth belongs only to men;
The idle will go to reside elsewhere.
How much of our flesh have they consumed?
But if these ravens, these vultures
Disappeared one of these days,
The sun will shine forever.
|: This is the final struggle
Let us group together, and tomorrow
The Internationale
Will be the human race. :|
Latin alphabet
transliteration
Literal English translation
First stanza
Вставай, проклятьем
заклеймённый,
Весь мир голодных и
рабов!
Кипит наш разум
возмущённый
И в смертный бой вести
готов.
Весь мир насилья мы
разрушим
До основанья, а затем
Мы наш, мы новый мир
построим, —
Кто был ничем, тот станет
всем.
Vstavay, proklyat'yem
zakleym'yonny,
ves' mir golodnykh i rabov!
Kipit nash razum
vozmushchyonny
I v smertniy boy vesti
gotov.
Ves' mir nasilya my
razrushim
do osnovanya, a zatem
my nash, my novy mir
postroim, —
kto byl nichem, tot stanyet
vsem.
Stand up, ones who are branded
by the curse,
All the world's starving and
enslaved!
Our outraged minds are boiling,
Ready to lead us into a deadly
fight.
We will destroy this world of
violence
Down to the foundations, and
then
We will build our new world.
He who was nothing will
become everything!
Припев:
Pripev:
CHORUS:
|: Это есть наш последний
И решительный бой;
С Интернационалом
|: Eto yest nash posledniy
I reshitelniy boy;
S Internatsionalom
|: This is our final
and decisive battle;
With the Internationale
3
Воспрянет род
людской! :|
vospryanet rod
lyudskoy! :|
humanity will rise up! :|
Second stanza
Никто не даст нам
избавленья:
Ни бог, ни царь и не герой!
Добьёмся мы
освобожденья
Своею собственной рукой.
Чтоб свергнуть гнёт рукой
умелой,
Отвоевать своё добро, —
Вздувайте горн и куйте
смело,
Пока железо горячо!
|: Это есть наш последний
И решительный бой;
С Интернационалом
Воспрянет род
людской! :|
Nikto ne dast nam
izbavlenya:
Ni bog, ni tsar i ne geroy!
Dobyomsya my
osvobozhdenya
Svoyeyu sobstvennoy
rukoy.
Chtob svergnut' gn'ot
rukoy umyeloy,
Otvoyevat' svoyo dobro, –
Vzduvaitye gorn i kuitye
smyelo,
Poka zhelezo goryacho!
|: Eto yest nash posledniy
I reshitelniy boy;
S Internatsionalom
vospryanet rod
lyudskoy! :|
No one will grant us
deliverance,
Not god, nor tsar, nor hero.
We will win our liberation,
With our very own hands.
To throw down oppression with
a skilled hand,
To take back what is ours –
Fire up the furnace and hammer
boldly,
while the iron is still hot!
|: This is our final
and decisive battle;
With the Internationale
humanity will rise up! :|
Third stanza
Довольно кровь сосать,
вампиры,
Тюрьмой, налогом,
нищетой!
У вас — вся власть, все
блага мира,
А наше право — звук
пустой !
Мы жизнь построим поиному —
И вот наш лозунг боевой:
Вся власть народу
трудовому!
А дармоедов всех долой!
|: Это есть наш последний
И решительный бой;
С Интернационалом
Воспрянет род людской! :|
Dovoľno krov sosať,
vampiry,
Tyurmoy, nalogom,
nischetoy!
U vas — vsya vlasť, vsye
blaga mira,
A nashe pravo — zvuk
pustoy!
My zhizn' postroim poinomu —
I vot nash lozung boyevoy:
Vsya vlasť narodu
trudovomu!
A darmoyedov vseh doloy!
|: Eto yest nash posledniy
I reshitelniy boy;
S Internatsionalom
vospryanet rod
lyudskoy! :|
You've sucked enough of our
blood, you vampires,
With prison, taxes and poverty!
You have all the power, all the
blessings of the world,
And our rights are but an empty
sound!
We'll make our own lives in a
different way And here is our battle cry:
All the power to the people of
labour!
And away with all the parasites!
|: This is our final
and decisive battle;
With the Internationale
humanity will rise up! :|
Fourth stanza
4
Презренны вы в своём
богатстве,
Угля и стали короли!
Вы ваши троны, тунеядцы,
На наших спинах возвели.
Заводы, фабрики, палаты
—
Всё нашим создано
трудом.
Пора! Мы требуем
возврата
Того, что взято грабежом.
|: Это есть наш последний
И решительный бой;
С Интернационалом
Воспрянет род людской! :|
Prezrenny vy v svojom
bogatstve,
Uglya i stali koroli!
Vy vashi trony, tuneyadtsy,
Na nashikh spinakh
vozvyeli.
Zavody, fabriki, palaty —
Vsyo nashim sozdano
trudom.
Pora! My trebuyem
vozvrata
Togo, čto vzyato
grabezhom.
|: Eto yest nash posledniy
I reshitelniy boy;
S Internatsionalom
vospryanet rod
lyudskoy! :|
Contemptible you are in your
wealth,
You kings of coal and steel!
You had your thrones, parasites,
At our backs erected.
All the factories, all the
chambers All were made by our hands.
It's time! We demand the return
Of that which was stolen from
us.
|: This is our final
and decisive battle;
With the Internationale
humanity will rise up! :|
Fifth stanza
Довольно королям в угоду
Дурманить нас в чаду
войны!
Война тиранам! Мир
Народу!
Бастуйте, армии сыны!
Когда ж тираны нас
заставят
В бою геройски пасть за
них —
Убийцы, в вас тогда
направим
Мы жерла пушек боевых!
|: Это есть наш последний
И решительный бой;
С Интернационалом
Воспрянет род людской! :|
Dovol'no korolyam v
ugodu
Durmanit' nas v chadu
voiny!
Voina tiranam! Mir
Narodu!
Bastuitye, armii syny!
Kogda zh tirany nas
zastavyat
V boyu geroiski past' za
nikh —
Ubiytsy, v vas togda
napravim
my zherla pushek boyevyh!
|: Eto yest nash posledniy
I reshitelniy boy;
S Internatsionalom
vospryanet rod
lyudskoy! :|
Enough of the will of kings
Stupefying us into the haze of
war!
War to the tyrants! Peace to the
people!
Go on strike, sons of the army!
And if the tyrants tell us
To fall heroically in battle for
them Then, murderers, we will point
The muzzles of our cannons at
you!
|: This is our final
and decisive battle;
With the Internationale
humanity will rise up! :|
Sixth stanza
Лишь мы, работники
всемирной
Великой армии труда,
Владеть землёй имеем
Lish' my, rabotniki
vsemirnoiy
Velikoy armii truda,
Vladet' zeml'yoi imeyem
Only we, the workers of the
worldwide
Great army of labour,
Have the right to own the land,
5
право,
Но паразиты – никогда!
И если гром великий
грянет
Над сворой псов и
палачей, —
Для нас всё так же солнце
станет
Сиять огнём своих лучей.
|: Это есть наш последний
И решительный бой;
С Интернационалом
Воспрянет род
людской! :|
British Translation
pravo,
No parazity – nikogda!
I yesli grom velikiy
gr'anyet
Nad svoroy psov i
palachey, –
Dlya nas vsyo tak zhe
solntse stanyet
siyat' ognyom svoikh
luchey.
|: Eto yest nash posledniy
I reshitelniy boy;
S Internatsionalom
vospryanet rod
lyudskoy! :|
But the parasites - never!
And if the great thunder rolls
Over the pack of dogs and
executioners,
For us, the sun will forever
Shine on with its fiery beams.
|: This is our final
and decisive battle;
With the Internationale
humanity will rise up! :|
Billy Bragg's Revision
American version
First stanza
Arise, ye workers from your
slumber,
Arise, ye prisoners of want.
For reason in revolt now
thunders,
and at last ends the age of
cant!
Away with all your
superstitions,
Servile masses, arise, arise!
We'll change henceforth the
old tradition,
And spurn the dust to win the
prize!
So comrades, come rally,
And the last fight let us face.
The Internationale,
Unites the human race.
So comrades, come rally,
And the last fight let us face.
The Internationale,
Unites the human race.
Stand up, all victims of
oppression,
For the tyrants fear your might!
Don't cling so hard to your
possessions,
For you have nothing if you
have no rights!
Let racist ignorance be ended,
For respect makes the empires
fall!
Freedom is merely privilege
extended,
Unless enjoyed by one and all.
So come brothers and sisters,
For the struggle carries on.
The Internationale,
Unites the world in song.
So comrades, come rally,
For this is the time and place!
The international ideal,
Unites the human race.
Arise, the workers of all
nations!
Arise, oppressed of the earth!
For justice thunders
condemnation:
A better world's in birth!
It is time to win
emancipation,
Arise, you slaves, no more in
thrall!
The earth will rise on new
foundations:
We, who were nothing, shall
be all!
Forward, brothers and
sisters,
And the last fight let us face;
The Internationale
Unites the human race!
Forward, brothers and
sisters,
And the last fight let us face;
The Internationale
Unites the human race!
Second stanza
6
No more deluded by reaction,
On tyrants only we'll make
war!
The soldiers too will take
strike action,
They'll break ranks and fight
no more!
And if those cannibals keep
trying,
To sacrifice us to their pride,
They soon shall hear the
bullets flying,
We'll shoot the generals on
our own side.
So comrades, come rally,
And the last fight let us face.
The Internationale,
Unites the human race.
So comrades, come rally,
And the last fight let us face.
The Internationale,
Unites the human race.
Let no one build walls to divide
us,
Walls of hatred nor walls of
stone.
Come greet the dawn and stand
beside us,
We'll live together or we'll die
alone.
In our world poisoned by
exploitation,
Those who have taken, now
they must give!
And end the vanity of nations,
We've but one Earth on which
to live.
So come brothers and sisters,
For the struggle carries on.
The Internationale,
Unites the world in song.
So comrades, come rally,
For this is the time and place!
The international ideal,
Unites the human race.
We see through their
disinformation:
Designs to turn us into war.
But soon, the soldiers in
formation
Will break ranks and fight no
more.
And if those cowards think
it's their right
To sacrifice us to their dream,
They'll see the power of our
own might;
It's time to end the old
regime.
Forward, brothers and
sisters,
And the last fight let us face;
The Internationale
Unites the human race!
Forward, brothers and
sisters,
And the last fight let us face;
The Internationale
Unites the human race!
Third stanza
No saviour from on high
delivers,
No faith have we in prince or
peer.
Our own right hand the chains
must shiver,
Chains of hatred, greed and
fear.
E'er the thieves will out with
their booty,
And to all give a happier lot.
Each at his forge must do their
duty,
And we'll strike the iron while
it's hot.
So comrades, come rally,
And the last fight let us face.
The Internationale,
Unites the human race.
And so begins the final drama,
In the streets and in the fields.
We stand unbowed before their
armour,
We defy their guns and shields!
When we fight, provoked by
their aggression,
Let us be inspired by life and
love.
For though they offer us
concessions,
Change will not come from
above!
So come brothers and sisters,
For the struggle carries on.
The Internationale,
Unites the world in song.
So comrades, come rally,
For this is the time and place!
Just we, the workers of the
world-wide,
The mighty army of labor,
To own the planet have a true
right But the parasites — never!
For too long we've endured
exploitation,
Too long we've been the
vulture's prey.
Farewell to days of
condemnation!
The red dawn brings a bright
new day!
Forward, brothers and
sisters,
And the last fight let us face;
The Internationale
Unites the human race!
7
So comrades, come rally,
And the last fight let us face.
The Internationale,
Unites the human race.
The Internationale,
Unites the human race.
Forward, brothers and
sisters,
And the last fight let us face;
The Internationale
Unites the human race!
8